Parliament Question: Standardisation of medical procedures and treatment rates in private hospital

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE RAJYASABHA UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 2817 TO BE ANSWERED ON17THMARCH, 2026 STANDARDISATIONOFMEDICALPROCEDURES AND TREATMENTRATESIN PRIVATE HOSPITAL 2817SHRISAKETGOKHALE: Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased tostate: (a) the reasons for the delay informulatingand notifyinga concreteproposal for standardised and affordable rates for medical procedures and treatment in private hospitals across the country, asdirectedbythe Hon’ble SupremeCourt; (b) the details of the uniform rate schedule being discussed with the State Governments/UTs and the specific mechanism proposed to enforce price ceilings to prevent catastrophic health expenditure for patientsnot coveredbythe AyushmanBharat scheme; and (c) timeline by which Government plans to fully comply with the Supreme Court’s directive toensure affordable medicaltreatmentinprivate healthcareestablishments? ANSWER THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL) (a) to (c): ‘Health’ beinga Statesubject, the primaryresponsibility for addressing the issue of ensuring standardized and affordable rates for medical procedures and treatment in private hospitals lieswith the respective States/UTs. Nonetheless, the Government of India enacted the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010 (CE Act) and notified the Clinical Establishments (Central Government) Rules, 2012asamended in2018andin2020 (CE Rules) toprovide for registration and regulation of Government (except those of Armed Forces) as well as private clinical establishments belonging to recognized systems of medicine. As per CE Act, the clinical establishments are required to fulfill the conditions of minimum standards for each type of service provided. The CE Act isadopted by 19 States/UTs (12 States, viz., Arunachal Pradesh,Assam, Bihar,Jharkhand, Haryana,HimachalPradesh,Mizoram, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Uttarakhand & Uttar Pradesh and 7 UTs, viz., Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh,Lakshadweep & Puducherry). For registration of clinical establishments, the CE Rules, inter- alia,stipulatesthe following:  Clinical establishments shall display the rates charged for each type of service provided and facilities available, for the benefit of the patients at a conspicuous place inthe local aswell asinEnglish language.  Clinical establishments shall charge the rates for each type of procedures and services within the range of rates determined and issued by the Central Government in consultation with the State Governments. In this regard, the Central Government has held multiple consultations with the States/UTs. The Central Government has also shared a standard costing template with States/UTs for their convenience/reference to formulate State/UT specific range of rates. The matteris, at present, sub-judice inthe Hon’ble SupremeCourt of India. *****